Diet Analysis In College

Being an athlete at a collegiate level is quite difficult. Athletes for the most part have to consume more calories, and pay more attention to their intake of foods than the average person. Before college, I did not know all the benefits to eating healthy, and the nutrients in the different types of foods. My daily routine consists of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. I chose one day to write about my food intake. For breakfast, I ate an apple, and then about 10 minutes or so I ate cereal. Kashi is the brand of my cereal, which is healthier version because there was no sodium or sugar; I also added flax seeds and chia seeds to my cereal with rice milk. For the past month or so, I have been making my own rice milk. In my rice milk, I use jasmine rice, tahini mainly for the calcium, almond butter mainly for the protein, agave for the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown

I know that protein is important because it helps the body to recover. After reading the article, “Assessment of intake of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and selected indices of nutritional status in short-distance runners”, I have found out information I have not known before, such as the protein intake. I have always wondered how much protein I should be consuming, especially being an athlete. Since I am an athlete, I should be “consuming at least .05 g per pound per day” (Karp, p. 5). I should be consuming at least 54.5 g of protein per day. Another important category is carbohydrates. I eat plenty of carbohydrates through the day whether it is pasta, bread, or cereal. Whether athletes know or not, “During intense physical activity, energy and macronutrient intake must be sufficient to maintain body mass, replenish glycogen stores, and provide adequate protein for building and repairing tissues” (Biernacki et al, p. 141). It is important one recovers properly with the correct